Tyler Reddick on pit-stop miscue at Michigan: ‘We’ve got to improve’

Posted on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 by Zack Albert

Tyler Reddick’s blast over the team radio near the end of Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Michigan International Speedway marked an overflow of frustration after a wayward late-race pit stop cost him an opportunity for his second victory of the season. Reddick nearly spun out with a loose right-rear wheel less than a lap after the pit-road gaffe from his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota crew, and he dropped to a 30th-place finish after a lengthy additional stop to right the wrong.

Tuesday, Reddick’s tone was far less amplified, given a day to reflect on how his team’s effort in the FireKeepers Casino 400 went. But with just three races left before the Cup Series Playoffs begin, the 27-year-old driver reiterated that the team’s execution needed cleaning up.

“Yeah, we’ve definitely got to get better there. We’ve got to improve,” Reddick told NASCAR.com by phone, some 24-odd hours after the checkered flag fell at the 2-mile track. “It’s just tough when that’s a mistake that we’ve made before, in the same situation, honestly. Not the last stop of the race, for sure, but in the lead, cycling back to the lead. Certainly, it’s just, it’s tough to … we’ve just got to learn from our mistakes. We can’t afford to repeat them.”

Reddick led seven laps and spent the most time out front in terms of the clock; he was scored first when rain forced a Sunday stoppage on Lap 75 of 200, leaving him in the lead for a 19-plus-hour red flag before the race resumed Monday afternoon.

When a long green-flag stretch ended the race, Reddick was in prime position to contend. He was on the same pit strategy as eventual winner Chris Buescher, and both drivers made their final scheduled stops with 43 laps to go. The No. 45 Toyota required less gas during its service, allowing Reddick to leave the pits ahead of Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Racing Ford.

“Yeah, we were gone. It was over. I can say that with confidence,” Reddick said with a laugh, contemplating what might have been. “We ran behind them the whole time, and we were just waiting for the pit sequence. We didn’t need as much fuel, we knew we were going to be in front of them, and we were definitely better than he was. It was gonna be game over.”

The hitch was a hesitation by the No. 45 crew on the right-side tire change, specifically the right-rear wheel, which wasn’t fully fastened before Reddick returned to the race. As he got up to speed, Reddick’s car pitched sideways through Turns 3 and 4, and the wheel nearly dislodged before he limped back to pit road. The subsequent stop lasted more than a minute, and Reddick lost three laps before the checkered flag waved.

Reddick called the miscue “unacceptable” on the team scanner as he lashed out in the waning laps that followed at Michigan. His teammate, Bubba Wallace, had experienced similar issues in recent weeks, with pit-road gremlins that hurt his finishes at Nashville and Richmond.

Drivers and crews have to be perfect to have a shot to win. pic.twitter.com/5vin55tVDv

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 8, 2023

There was some consolation, Reddick said, to be found in the speed that his 23XI Racing team has shown to offset any issues that crop up. And Reddick said he wasn’t blameless in his assessment of the team’s overall performance.

“We’ve unfortunately had a lot of things unplanned happen this year,” Reddick said. “A lot of things have not went our way this year. We’ve made a lot of mistakes. I feel like we’ve learned from a lot of them, and we just have to learn from them because, again, we’ve made so many. We just can’t afford to repeat them. I mean, we’ve run through the majority of our season and still can just barely count on one hand the amount of races that went mistake-free, and that falls on me, too. I’ve made some pretty bad mistakes the last couple of weeks as well inside the car that have cost us wins as well, and it’s just frustrating for sure to see them get away.

“But at the same time, is it is cool to see the amount of pace that we have, knowing that if we just … it’s kind of nice to just know that we don’t have to be operating at 105 percent to win races anymore. It’s just about executing.”

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Brandon White

A noticeable change for Chase Elliott during the 2023 season has been his commitment to competing in more Super Late Model events.

With four starts already under his belt, Elliott is teaming up with his long time Super Late Model crew chief Ricky Turner once again for Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin 250 at Berlin Raceway.

Elliott has been working hard with Turner to match the pace of the best teams and drivers in the Super Late Model discipline. Although they are still making progress, Elliott is eager to see how fast his black No. 9 Chevrolet is when it takes the green flag on Wednesday.

“I have run more [Super Late Model races] this year than I have in the past,” Elliott said. “We have been working at it much like the [NASCAR Cup Series] side. We’re just trying to get better and trying to get some momentum on that side of things too, so I’m looking forward to going to Berlin.”

It was through Super Late Models that the motorsports industry got their first glimpse at the talent Elliott possessed.

At 14 years old, Elliott was already starting to prove himself against established Super Late Model veterans with wins at tracks like Hickory Motor Speedway and Lanier Raceplex. The 2010 season would see Elliott earn his first crown jewel triumph, a victory in the physically and mentally taxing Winchester 400.

Elliott built on the confidence he obtained from winning the Winchester 400 by winning the Snowflake 100 in December of that year, which is the Pro Late Model support race to the prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway.

One year later, Elliott was a Snowball Derby champion, having earned that honor with a last-lap pass on D.J. VanderLey.

Elliott continued adding to his Super Late Model win total in the 2010s while simultaneously progressing through the NASCAR developmental ladder. Among his accomplishments were two more victories in the Snowflake 100, an All-American 400 win at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and his second Snowball Derby triumph in 2015.

A full-time schedule in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2016 forced Elliott to take a step back from Super Late Model competition. As Elliott racked up accolades in the Cup Series that included a championship in 2020, Elliott patiently waited for the right time and opportunity to get back into the discipline that defined his early years as a driver.

Chase Elliott turns a lap around North Wilkesboro Speedway in one of his four Super Late Model starts in 2023 so far. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Everything aligned in 2023 for Elliott to climb back into a Super Late Model more regularly with Turner, who was instrumental in molding a young Elliott into one of the best Cup Series drivers today. The duo has yet to win since teaming back up, but their confidence has grown with each passing race.

Elliott is optimistic the knowledge obtained from his first four Super Late Model starts this year will finally pay off with a trophy as he heads to Berlin for the first time since 2015.

Back when Berlin’s endurance event was known as the Rowdy 251, Elliott never finished outside the top-five in three appearances and tallied two runner-up finishes, both of which were to Kyle Busch. He returned to the facility in 2015 for the Battle at Berlin 251, but once again had to settle for fourth while a young Erik Jones brought home a checkered flag.

With Jones one of many noteworthy names on the Battle at Berlin 250 entry list alongside William Byron, Josh Berry, Carson Hocevar and others, Wednesday presents a healthy challenge for Elliott as he goes up against familiar faces and the local heroes that make Berlin’s weekly racing so vibrant.

The festive atmosphere prevalent at Berlin is one reason why Elliott chose to run the facility’s longest event of the season. He hopes to entertain a packed house on Wednesday by parking his car in Berlin’s Victory Lane and grabbing a $30,000 race-winning paycheck.

“[Berlin] has a lot of support from the local community,” Elliott said. “There are always great crowds and they put up a nice purse too, which in the asphalt world is a big deal. It’s important for the racers to support these shows that put up a lot of money to win, because it doesn’t happen all the time.”

Super Late Model racing has always been a vital part of Elliott’s identity as a driver. Although it’s been nearly eight years since his last Super Late Model win, Elliott is ready to add onto his successful legacy in the discipline that started when he was just a teenager.

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Twenty-seven points are all that separates 16th through 19th in what is turning into a hotly-contested battle for the final spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Three races remain before the grid is set for the postseason, and two of those final three will take place on road courses.

In a unique twist, a string of road-course aces command those four positions in the Cup standings and with the Indianapolis Road Course (Sun., 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) and Watkins Glen International on the horizon, the action is set to be thrilling.

After Monday’s race at Michigan International Speedway, rookie Ty Gibbs eclipsed Michael McDowell for the 16th and final spot with a narrow three-point gap over the 16-year veteran. Gibbs brought home his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 11th while McDowell suffered nose damage that parachuted him to a 24th-place run.

With a poor result in the Irish Hills, the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports camp was left disappointed on Monday but still feel a sense of optimism heading to some of their best tracks across the next three weeks.

“Yeah, this was … this feels pretty catastrophic,” McDowell’s crew chief Travis Peterson told NASCAR.com. “We never even had a chance to race (Monday) with the issues we had with the nose. The damage we had. It just really sucks. Obviously our goal going into this stretch was just to stay within a fighting chance going to our best tracks and we did that, which doesn’t feel that way at the moment but you know three points is overcome-able. Honestly, I’d put my money on us right now if it was going into the races the way it is.”

Heading into Michigan, McDowell said he would need a clean day to manage the points situation. Ultimately, the team didn’t have a clean day after the early contact with Chase Briscoe hampered their race.

Road courses play into the hand of McDowell, who’s been a cognoscente of left- and right-turn circuits even outside of the NASCAR Cup Series.

In Saturday’s media availability at Michigan, McDowell expressed his confidence heading to Indy and Watkins Glen after his results at Circuit of The Americas (12th), Sonoma (seventh) and Chicago (seventh) this season.

“I feel like we’re gonna be able to go to Indy, Watkins Glen and have that kind of speed, but it’s road racing. It’s kind of like superspeedway racing,” McDowell said. “You can get tangled up and we saw Turn 1 be wild last year at Indy. That kind of happened to us. We were a top-five car there last year and late restarts got pushed into the grass and ended up finishing eighth or ninth, so we know that we’re gonna have decent speed.”

To make the playoffs, McDowell will need to climb back in front of Gibbs, and fend off the likes of Daniel Suárez and AJ Allmendinger, who have both won at road courses in their Cup careers.

“It’s not like those guys aren’t good on road courses. If anything, they’re really good,” McDowell said. “But the flip side of that is … so are we. So we’re gonna be able to manage. We’re gonna be able to score some points and I think we’ll also be able to score stage points and you know there’s been conversation about that. In general, that’s one of the things that’s helped us a lot is because in years past, we’re always trying to win the race, not trying to score points right? So we’d always flip the stages. We’d always pit with two to go and so I don’t have a lot of stage points on road courses because we were always on that strategy where now that’s kind of wiped away. When we’re running third or fourth, we’re gonna get those stage points and it’s not gonna hurt our strategy.

“Last year, I think we gave up probably 50 or 60 stage points because we were trying to win the race where this year we’ll be able to capitalize on it.”

Suárez called his shot at Michigan, saying he could still point his way into the postseason despite a 34-point impediment to overcome.

That’s exactly what Suárez did Monday, finishing sixth and scoring 14 stage points in the process to cut his deficit to just five points behind 16th.

MORE: Suárez, Chastain break down Trackhouse’s playoff outlook

“I feel like we still have maybe one more step to go to be able to win races, but it was definitely a race that we needed, especially heading into two road course races,” Suárez said. “Now we have a little momentum on our side and I’m optimistic for the final three races of the regular season.”

Allmendinger, the inaugural Indy road course winner, has 24 points to gain to surmount the cutoff and is banking on the next two races as his shot to reach just his second postseason.

However, Allmendinger touted the evolution of Cup Series drivers on road courses that has seen a transition from just a handful of drivers who could win on them to most of the series being good on that track type.

“If you really look at the Cup Series now, especially how many road courses we have, you probably have more on the positive side of road-course guys who you’ve gotta worry about,” Allmendinger said. “All the drivers put a lot of effort into it, so there’s not many guys now you look at saying, ‘OK, they’re gonna struggle at the road course.’”

From practice at Indy to the checkered flag at Watkins Glen, every lap is going to be must-watch as the best of the best play high-speed chess on their favorite discipline for their playoff hopes.

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. — LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ has signed two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller of Germany to drive the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the Aug. 13 NASCAR Cup Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course and the Aug. 20 event at Watkins Glen International.

RELATED: Cup Series schedule

Just hours after a fifth-place finish in the GTP class at Road America in the IMSA Weather Tech SportsCar series, Rockenfeller got the call from fellow NASCAR Garage 56 teammate Jimmie Johnson this week to assist the team for the two upcoming road course events. Johnson and Rockenfeller competed in the IMSA series together for Action Express for two seasons and were both an integral part of the Garage 56 project with Hendrick Motorsports, in which they completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June along with former Formula One driver Jenson Button.

This will be the first time the veteran sports car racer will compete on the 2.439-mile road course at the storied “Brickyard”; however, the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner has made two starts in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022 — at Watkins Glen and at the Charlotte Roval. In addition to winning twice at Le Mans, “Rocky” is a three-time winner in the NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series and won the 2013 DTM championship.

“After racing with Jimmie in IMSA for two years and together in the Garage 56 program, not only were we teammates, but we are now great friends,” said Rockenfeller. “To get to race for him in the NASCAR Cup Series for LEGACY M.C. with him as a co-owner is such a true honor. It’s going to be a huge challenge as I have never raced at Indy. I was dreaming about being in a Cup Series car again, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. I will try my best in this short timeframe to come together with the team and have a great race in Indy.”

Johnson is excited to welcome his sports car teammate to the Club.

“Rocky and I were teammates and helped develop the G56 program,” said Johnson. “I couldn’t think of a better person to assist our Club in this tough situation. These back-to-back road course events will be great for Rocky from the technical side as they will bring out his expertise. Rocky is extremely knowledgeable and talented, and I know he will get us the best results possible.”

The NASCAR Cup Series’ Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course will take place on Sunday, Aug. 13 at 2:30 pm ET, airing on NBC, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

Posted on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 by Zach Sturniolo

Since 2019, the Buffalo Chip’s Rusty Wallace Charity Ride has become a key piece of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.

The fifth edition of the motorcycle journey kicks off Wednesday at Spearfish City Park with a scenic 25-mile cruise through Spearfish Canyon and through to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground.

The 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wallace loves the experience in South Dakota — the people, the bikes, the atmosphere — but his heart is with the charity.

Wallace’s ride and its extracurriculars benefit The NASCAR Foundation as well as the Rapid City Special Olympics, with proceeds evenly split between the two organizations. A 55-time Cup race winner, Wallace serves on the Board of Directors of The NASCAR Foundation, which works to improve the lives of children who need it most within the NASCAR community through initiatives like the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

MORE: Learn more about and donate to The NASCAR Foundation | Details on Rapid City Flame

The key extracurricular this year is a fully customized 2023 Harley Davidson Road Glide, loaded with high-performance parts and upgrades, designed and built by Southern Country Customs, the Mooresville, North Carolina, based company Wallace co-owns with son and former NASCAR driver Steve Wallace. The bike will be auctioned off Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET in Sturgis, with proceeds benefitting the aforementioned charities.

Southern Country Customs, founded in 2019, operates out of the same building that housed Rusty Wallace Racing, the Xfinity Series team that fielded 547 entrants among drivers like Steve Wallace, Kenny Wallace, Jamie McMurray, Bill Elliott and Brendan Gaughan, among others.

This year’s unique ride features a 127-cubic-inch engine that produces over 150 horsepower, as well as a custom front end to fit an 18-inch fat tire.

“That’s how these people talk about these bikes,” Wallace told NASCAR.com with a laugh.

Courtesy of The NASCAR Foundation

But the vehicle never would have come together if not for the gracious donations made to Southern Country Customs, made in large part from T-Man Performance in Kernersville, North Carolina, with the knowledge the bike would be auctioned for a great cause.

“We’ve had many, many people provide all the free parts to build this bike,” Wallace said. “And out of all the bikes we’ve built, this particular one has probably got more high-end pieces and parts than any bike we’ve ever built. And so we’re real proud of it. It’s all been tuned and dynoed and ridden, and now it’s sitting on display here in Deadwood, South Dakota, at Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Casino.”

Motorcycles weren’t always in Wallace’s wheelhouse — not until former NASCAR president and current Senior Advisor to NASCAR Mike Helton introduced him and others to the South Dakota bike rally.

“One of the things I really love as far as having fun is the motorcycles, and Mike Helton is the one that actually started that,” Wallace said. “Mike started bringing a lot of the NASCAR drivers out to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally almost 20 years ago, and I just really got hooked on it. I just love Sturgis and all the people we get to meet, and my wife started coming out with me about the last six or seven years, and she just loves it and the family, too.”

MORE: Rusty Wallace through the years | Wallace speaks on The NASCAR Foundation

Wallace’s affiliation with The NASCAR Foundation began with a phone call in 2006 from Betty Jane France, wife of former NASCAR CEO and president Bill France Jr., whose words still have Wallace laughing 17 years later.

“(The NASCAR Foundation) has been something very, very special in my heart, and it all started back in 2006 when I got a phone call from the late Betty Jane France,” said Wallace, who retired from NASCAR racing after the 2005 season. “And she says, ‘Well, Rusty, I want to start a foundation, and I want you to be on the board. And I said, ‘Why me?’ And she laughed and said, ‘Well, now you’re not controversial because you’re not driving any longer.’ ”

Wallace said by the time this week’s rally concludes, over $500,000 will have been raised for children through auctions and the bike builds.

He throws heaps of credit to Jim Burgess, former owner of Black Hills Harley-Davidson, for his assistance and friendship over the years. This year marks the first in which Burgess no longer owns the dealership, touted as one of the world’s largest Harley dealers, but that didn’t keep Burgess away from the cause.

“Jim actually donated the motorcycle through his charity, the Rapid City Flame, this year,” Wallace said. “So he’s the one who wrote the check for the bike. Jim Burgess, he’s the one who has been the partner through the whole entire deal. And I just want to recognize him because he’s just really done a ton for us.”

Posted on August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Another case of the “Martin Mondays.”

At least, that’s what it looked like through the first two stages in the two-day Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Not only did Martin Truex Jr. have the dominant car in the Irish Hills after winning Stage 1, but he additionally charged through the field to go from 14th to the Stage 2 win in a span of 13 laps.

Due to varying pit strategies, however, Chris Buescher found himself leading in the final 50 laps and held off Truex to capture back-to-back wins.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Michigan

After losing ground to Buescher after the final pit stops cycled through, Truex reeled in and caught the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, but when he attempted to get around Buescher to take the lead with 12 laps to go, Truex’s No. 19 Toyota snapped loose on the inside of Buescher and couldn’t rally back, losing out to the No. 17 by a 0.152-second margin.

“I got beside him and about lost it down into (Turn 1). I was just trying to do all I could to get by him without making contact,” Truex said. “I easily could’ve got into him there. I feel like we’ve had a good, respectful relationship on the race track, and I wasn’t gonna do anything to wreck him or take a chance at wrecking both of us. Second is better than that.”

Through the two days of action, Buescher said he and his team took note of the No. 19 being the best car at Michigan and had to devise a certain strategy if the race came down to him and Truex.

“That was gonna be really tough, and where they were so good was wrapping the bottom, and I’d seen it yesterday in the race, and we talked about it,” Buescher said. “When we went into rain delay, we felt like the 19 was probably the car to beat and was just able to maneuver and get through traffic very well, and so knowing that we had to commit to a little bit higher, kind of a low-mid lane to make our minimum lap time to try to make max speed. And that was letting him get enough air to get really close to us at times, so I just worked to try to cover as best we could.”

Despite the runner-up finish, Truex fell just one position short of a maximum points day and extended his lead in the Cup Series points standings to 57 points over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

Compared to last year, the performance and situation for the No. 19 team is a complete 180-degree swirl.

Truex went winless in 2022 and failed to make the playoffs with 15 different winners and Ryan Blaney outpointing him in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

Truex’s crew chief James Small described what the biggest difference has been from 2022 to 2023.

“Honestly, just minimizing the mistakes,” Small told NASCAR.com. “Pit road, strategy stuff and just having faster cars as well. Our cars are better this year, and we have a better understanding of what we need to give Martin on a weekly basis, and yeah, I think it’s just everything, so it’s just execution is the key. And outside of that, you can’t control what happens to you, so as long as we all do our jobs properly, then we can run up front every day of the week.”

With three wins pocketed and a healthy cushion in the points lead, Truex takes the cup-half-full approach with the playoffs on the horizon.

“Yeah, it’s a totally different situation. Today was a really good day,” Truex said. “It’s disappointing to run second. It always is, but you know, at the same time, big picture. Two stage wins and second, we gained the most points today, and that’s good for the regular season, so we really want those 15 points. We got a few more races to lock that up, so we’ll see if we can do it.”

MORE: Cup playoff standings

The Indianapolis Road Course (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), Watkins Glen International and Daytona will decide Truex’s chase for the coveted regular-season championship.

Posted on August 7, 2023August 8, 2023 by Brandon White

A healthy contingent of stars are set to descend upon Berlin Raceway on Wednesday evening for the prestigious Battle at Berlin 250.

Serving as Berlin’s second crown jewel event after the Money in the Bank 150, which was won by Erik Jones earlier this year, the Battle at Berlin 250 is offering a total purse of $90,900 for drivers, with the winner receiving a total of $30,000.

Throughout its history, the Battle at Berlin has typically favored local drivers such as Boris Jurkovic, Kyle Crump and Brian Campbell. The most recent winner is defending Berlin track champion Evan Shotko, who saved his tires and took the lead from Campbell with 44 laps remaining last year.

The hometown heroes of Berlin will have their work cut out for them Wednesday evening as they look to keep the trophy in Michigan against many of the best drivers from both NASCAR and Super Late Model competition.

Below is everything you need to know about Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin 250 at Berlin Raceway.

(Photo: Nic Antaya/ARCA Racing)

What TV Channel is the Battle at Berlin 250 on in 2023?

All the on-track action for the Battle at Berlin 250 can be viewed live on FloRacing, the official streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.

The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.

Below is the complete schedule for FloRacing’s coverage of the Battle at Berlin 250.

Date	Start Time	How to Watch
Wednesday, Aug. 9	6:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing

Race-day schedule

This year’s Battle at Berlin will take place Wednesday, Aug. 9. The event is headlined by the 250-lap Super Late Model feature, with a 50-lap Limited Late Model race being the only support show of the night.

Below is the complete race-day schedule at Berlin Raceway (all times ET).

Time	Event
9:30 a.m.	Pit pass window opens
10 a.m.	Pit area opens
11 a.m.	Race tires sold and impounded
12 p.m.	Super Late Model Drivers / Spotters meeting
1-1:40 p.m.	First Super Late Model practice
1:50-2:30 p.m.	Final Super Late Model practice
3:30 p.m.	Super Late Model tech
4:10-4:30 p.m.	Model Coverall Limited Late Model practice/qualifying
4:40-5 p.m.	Model Coverall Limited Late Model practice/qualifying
5:45 p.m.	Super Late Model qualifying
6:27 p.m.	Invocation / National Anthem
6:30 p.m.	Battle at Berlin Last Chance Race (40 laps)
Immediately following…	Model Coverall Limited Late Model feature (50 laps)
Immediately following…	Driver introductions
Immediately following…	Battle at Berlin 250 pres. by Tekton (250 laps)

Battle at Berlin entry list

The top divisions of NASCAR are well-represented in this year’s Battle at Berlin.

Leading the way is 2023 Money in the Bank 150 winner Erik Jones. During the early years of his career, Jones found plenty of success at Berlin by winning his lone ARCA Menards Series race at the facility along with two Battle at Berlin 251 triumphs in 2015 and 2016.

Joining Jones on the entry list is William Byron, who won Berlin’s Money in the Bank 150 in 2022. Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott is also making the trip to Marne, Michigan on Wednesday. So is Josh Berry, who will pilot the No. 71 for TK Racing.

Carson Hocevar, who has two Money in the Bank 150 wins on his resume, will try for his first Battle at Berlin victory before continuing his quest for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title on Friday at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Other notable names set to take part in Wednesday’s race include defending winner Evan Shotko, Bubba Pollard, Derek Kneeland, Jesse Love, Gio Ruggiero, Derek Griffith and Brian Campbell.

Below is the complete entry list for the Battle at Berlin 250.

Car No.	Driver
08	Tony Elrod
1	Chris Munson
4	Erik Jones
9	Chase Elliott
12	Derek Griffith
14	Carson Hocevar
16	Jacob Gomes
18	Chase Burda
18	Keith Herp
20	Austin Hull
20	Jesse Love
22	Gio Ruggiero
22	Evan Shotko
24	William Byron
24	Tyler Roahrig
24	Dylan Stovall
26	Bubba Pollard
27	Ken Wobma
28	Cole Butcher
28	Kevin Cremonesi
28	Scott Thomas
33	Wes Griffith
44	Trevor Sanborn
45	Michael Simko
47	Brian Campbell
50	Kyle Crump
53	Boris Jurkovic
71	Josh Berry
76	Brian Tillema
88	Andrew Scheid
90	Derek Kneeland
101	Joe Bush
131	Blake Rowe

Race format

The field for Wednesday’s Battle at Berlin will be set by qualifying and a Last Chance Race. Competitors will make two consecutive laps during qualifying, with the quickest of the two serving as the official time.

Any driver who is among the fastest 24 in qualifying will automatically lock into the 250-lap main event. The remaining cars will then compete in the Last Chance Race, with the top four finishers transferring to the main event.

Positions 29-30 are determined by the Promoter’s Option.

The starting lineup is determined by qualifying times followed by the transfers and provisional starters. Competition cautions will occur every 50 green flag laps.

Posted on August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 by Reid Spencer

BROOKLYN, Mich. — After the completion of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, we can hold the following truths to be self-evident:

• Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing is officially “back.”
• Chris Buescher is rapidly gaining elite status as a driver.
• Ford maintained its dominance in the Irish Hills.
• Chase Elliott will have to win one of the next three races to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
• The fastest car didn’t win Sunday’s race.

In an extended, dramatic, nail-biting green-flag run to the finish, Buescher held off hard-charging Martin Truex Jr. to win his second straight Cup Series race.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Michigan

With team co-owner Brad Keselowski finishing fourth and Buescher winning — the ninth straight victory for Ford drivers at the 2-mile speedway — RFK can claim bragging rights as the top Ford team in the Cup garage, at least for now.

When the race resumed at Lap 75 on Monday after a postponement from Sunday because of rain, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet wasn’t on the track, having crashed out in 36th place on Lap 35 the day before.

Elliott’s deficit to the playoffs’ elimination line grew to 55 points; realistically, the 2020 series champion will have to win one of the next three races to avoid missing the postseason for the first time in his career.

Eight days after winning his first race of the season on the 0.75-mile Richmond Raceway short track, Buescher proved himself a formidable competitor lap after lap in holding off Truex, whose No. 19 Toyota arguably was the fastest car in the race.

With Truex closing the distance between the cars over the final six laps, Buescher roared off Turn 4 and crossed the finish line 0.152 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

“This Castrol Mustang was so good in practice, qualifying,” said Buescher, who picked up his fourth career victory. “Gave me a great car again. Had to work for that one, too, hard racing at the end.

“Martin was very clean with me. I appreciate that. Get to go to Victory Lane two weeks in a row. That’s pretty awesome.”

With 13 laps to go, Truex had his best chance. Buescher slipped slightly off Turn 4, and Truex pulled alongside. The No. 19 Camry edged ahead to the inside, but Buescher doggedly kept Truex beside him for nearly two laps.

Rounding Turn 4 on Lap 188 of 400, Buescher held Truex’s car to the bottom of the track, forcing Truex to slip and lift off the gas. Truex also had to clear the lapped car of Michael McDowell as Buescher opened a gap of 10 car-lengths.

That gave Buescher enough of a margin to hold off Truex for the win over the final 11 circuits.

“I think we needed maybe a little bit longer run to wear the tires some more,” said Truex, who swept the first two stages and increased his series lead to 57 points over second-place Denny Hamlin, who finished third on Monday. “I feel like we were a little better. It’s hard to pass the leader on equal tires.

“We had an unbelievable car today. Hats off to everybody that puts in the work on these things. … It was a rocket. The leader in clean air is really, really hard to pass. Just didn’t quite have enough. All in all, a good day.

“Tough to get a win here. We’ve been really good in the past. Just can’t get it done. Hopefully, I don’t know, maybe next year.”

Kyle Larson finished fifth, followed by Daniel Suárez, Ross Chastain, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones. Ty Gibbs came home 11th and supplanted McDowell in the 16th and final playoff-eligible position. McDowell trails Gibbs by three points, with Suárez five points back.

With Buescher winning his second race and qualifying for the postseason, all the single-race winners this season also clinched playoff berths on Monday: Christopher Bell, Chastain, Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Bell, the Michigan pole winner, damaged his car severely with a spin into the wall on Lap 65 on Sunday, but after repeated trips to pit road for repairs, he salvaged a 13th-place result.

Three contenders were sidelined during the early going Sunday, with 74 laps completed before rain forced the postponement. Among them were Kyle Busch, Elliott and William Byron — all of whom retired with damage after contact with the outside retaining wall.

Byron finished 35th, Elliott 36th and Busch was last in the 37-car field after incidents in the opening stage. Busch completed 14 laps before his contact with the No. 12 Ford of Ryan Blaney sent his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet into the outside barrier. Twenty laps later, Elliott was out after a tire issue on his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and Byron — his teammate — exited after a wall scrape on the last lap of Stage 1.

MORE: Trouble for Elliott, Byron at Michigan

Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry finished 34th as a substitute for the suspended Noah Gragson after a crash early in Stage 2. Berry was making his ninth Cup Series start this season and his first in Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 Chevy.

The Cup Series’ next race is the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, scheduled Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Notes: Buescher becomes the first driver for the Roush Fenway Keselowski operation to win consecutive races since Carl Edwards went back-to-back in 2010. … Post-race inspection was completed in the Cup Series garage without issue, confirming Buescher as the Michigan winner. … Competition officials indicated that six cars will return to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C. The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford will be brought back for further inspection, and both cars will join the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet for engine dynamometer testing. Additionally, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy will be kept for wind-tunnel testing.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on August 6, 2023August 7, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Mother Nature won the day Sunday at Michigan International Speedway as the NASCAR Cup Series race saw a delayed start and was ultimately postponed 74 laps into the 400-miler.

Six caution flags waved in the early portion of the FireKeepers Casino 400, with four cars going to the garage and retiring from the event.

Tyler Reddick is the current race leader, with Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones rounding out the top five.

Despite not reaching the halfway point at Michigan, there were a handful of takeaways from the race so far.

Editor’s note: The race will resume Monday at noon ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

BIG-NAME DRIVERS HAVING ISSUES

Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and William Byron all crashed out on Sunday due to separate incidents. On Lap 14, Busch spun into the wall after a hard battle for position with Ryan Blaney in Turns 1 and 2, resulting in a 37th- and last-place finish for the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Twenty laps later, Elliott had a tire go down that sent the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wall in Turn 2. The DNF for Elliott forces him into a must-win situation entering the final three races of the regular season as he will leave the Irish Hills with just one additional point after entering Sunday 40 points below the playoff cutline.

Elliott’s teammate William Byron made contact with the wall off Turn 4 that was enough to put the No. 24 behind the wall.

MORE: Recap the issues for the Hendrick Motorsports duo

IT’S ANYBODY’S RACE

Toyota drivers have led 38 of the 74 laps so far but varying strategies through Stage 1 and thus far through Stage 2 have jumbled the running order.

Truex Jr. looks to be the best of the Toyota bunch as he stormed to the lead on Lap 30, pacing the field for a current race-high 30 laps after starting fifth.

Bowman, who currently sits 21st in points and 42 points below the elimination line, has led 19 laps and will return to the track on Monday running second. Fellow winless drivers Jones, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace will sit inside the top 10 when the race resumes.

FORDS STRUGGLING TO FIND SPEED

A ninth Michigan win in a row for the Ford camp doesn’t appear to be in the cards at the moment. Six-time Michigan winner Kevin Harvick started outside the top 20 and has been stuck toward the back all race long. He will resume from the 23rd position on Monday.

Austin Cindric (sixth) and Brad Keselowski (seventh) are the only Fords inside the top 10 as it stands. Keselowski was the only Ford driver to score points in Stage 1 with a fourth-place result.

Posted on August 6, 2023August 7, 2023 by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron dropped out of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race early at Michigan International Speedway.

Elliott was the first of the two who found trouble, losing control of his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after a tire went down in Turn 2 at the 2-mile track. The issue sent the car careening off the outside retaining wall. Elliott had been running ninth in the 37-car field, but his damage was terminal and he drove to the garage.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Michigan

“Yeah, I feel good,” Elliott told NBC Sports after being evaluated and released from the infield care center. “I hate that it happened. It was really early in the day to have a tire blow like that. It was really weird. It’s a bummer, but not surprised.”

Elliott completed just 34 of a scheduled 200 laps and finished 36th in the FireKeepers Casino 400, which was pushed to a Monday finish after persistent rain. The result hinders his long-shot hope of making the Cup Series Playoffs grid on the basis of points, and his outlook is virtually must-win with three races remaining in the regular season.

“Yeah, I mean, I told y’all that the week I got back,” said Elliott, who is now 55 points below the elimination line. “So, nothing’s changed.”

WATCH: Elliott: ‘I think we need to win’ to make playoffs

Byron logged just 12 more laps, scraping the outside wall at the exit of Turn 4 on the final lap of Stage 1. The 25-year-old driver brought the No. 24 Hendrick Chevy to pit road, but the car was too damaged to continue and his day was done.

Byron ended up 35th in the final rundown once the race was completed, hampering his pursuit of the Cup Series’ regular season championship and the 15 playoff-point bonus. Byron remained in third place in the series standings, but he is now 96 points behind Cup Series leader Martin Truex Jr., who finished second Monday.

“I just got loose trying to get stage points there,” Byron said after his own check at the infield care center. “We were dicing it up. We didn’t have the best restart, so we were gaining spots back, but just tried too hard. We’ll just regroup and try to get a good couple of weeks before the playoffs. Just made a mistake — was just trying hard and got loose.”